A technomancer's journey in an apocalyptic world

Chapter 111: Upgrading (part-4)

Later that day just after dinner, the entire regiment of the black wolves had gathered occupying one of the newly created floors of Fort Genesis.

Owing to the large influx of refugees, the soldiers of the Black Wolves regiment did not have to always actively take part in patrolling as there were more than enough people to volunteer for the task.

As such the entire Black Wolves regiment was now huddled up in the rather large room with Ciara at the centre along with those who had ventured out into the expedition.

Before anyone could begin Ryan spoke out loud, "Wait before the meeting begins I have something for all of you."

With that, he had produced trays full of roasted meat, the smell of which made those present feel their mouth water.

Ciara looked at the trays with her eyes wide open as she spoke, "When did you get all this?"

With a sheepish smile on his face Ryan replied back, "Well today when I was having lunch with big sister, we realized that there was too much meat for us, then we decided to hunt a few more animals so that we could have enough meat for everyone for tonight's meeting though unfortunately it is only roasted and lacks any form condiments."

Ciara waved off his concern before she spoke with a smile, "I see that is why you were asking for some salt, well do not worry I had already asked Mina to procure some."

Ryan simply gave a small nod as Ciara spoke with a serious look on her face, "Now I would like to know what happened out there."

Michalina took a deep breath before she began, "After we left we have learned many things like the undead can evolve by cannibalizing on their brethren, moreover they form Kratocratic society."

A dumbfounded look passed through everyone's face before one of them spoke with disbelief, "You are kidding right?"

Ryan shook his head as he spoke with a sigh, "No, sister is not joking, those undead creatures when they are low level maybe simple dumb creatures but as they grow stronger they become deadlier and intelligent enough to lead their troops, but as sister said it is a Kratocratic society with the strongest leading them, and the strongest would be a very dangerous foe."

Michalina continued with a nod, "Not to mention when there are a large number of high-level undead gathered in an area they start to form Necropolis, we came across one that had just begun to take place, and believe me you would not want to venture forth, it is the vilest and sickening place you will ever venture into, you will feel so sick and week there."

Her words received a pointed look from Ryan as he spoke, "You stayed outside the area while I had ventured into the deep bowels of the Necropolis."

"But I am not am I."

Ryan simply gave a nod of acknowledgement as one of the members spoke out loud, "This Necropolis thing why does it concern us."

Ryan turned towards her as he replied back, "Think it like a poison that spreads and rots the lands, the air, the water making it toxic to any form of life, something that tries to deny the very existence of life, a place where if you die you will immediately join the ranks of the undead."

The person who had questioned him frowned as she spoke, "That is troubling and seeing the world's condition there is no doubt a few Necropolis already forming in some corner of the world."

Everyone could only grimace at her deduction, especially the Michalina and Ryan who had first had experienced the Necropolis.

Ruby cleared her throat drawing everyone's attention towards her while Ryan shivered to see the look that she sent towards him.

'Damn she is looking at me like a lab rat that she would love to dissect and study what makes me tick.'

Her smile increased seeing Ryan flinch slightly at her stare as she spoke, "You can tell us all about your journey and other stuff but what I want to know how and when you have become an apostle."

Ryan sighed as he ran his hand through his hair as he spoke, "I became an apostle the day the planet went to hell."

Ciara's head whipped towards Ryan as she spoke in a stern voice, "What do you mean by that?"

"My powers, that I use is from my patron God, God Avtis the God of Creation and Destruction, the first God from the Pantheon of Gods from the otherworld."

Ryan then raised his hands as everyone watched in fascination as a gauntlet suddenly began to form, first the leather gloves appeared and then the metallic exterior that twisted, turned and joined to form the gauntlet.

"This is a Divine Weapon known as the Gauntlet of Eternal Forge, a weapon that was given to me by God Avtis, a powerful tool that negates the need of Mana while I build or destroy, but it is not only that it has three other weapons stored in it that I can use when the need arises."

Ciara sighed before she spoke, "I see and am I to assume that the tattoo on your face is also there for the same reason."

Ryan nodded as he replied back with a smile, "Yes mom, this is also caused because of that."

"I see, but first start from the beginning and tell me everything that happened."

As such upon Ciara's request, Michalina began to regale their tale only stopping when her teammates had something to add and soon she reached the point where Ryan had escaped from Navalach city with the whirlwind of the chaos lying behind him.

Ryan fidgeted a bit as Ciara stared at him with a stoic visage, telling his mother who happened to be Major of the Republic of Belonia, that due to his action a major landmark and pride of the nation is now ruined was nerve-racking for him.

"Why are you fidgeting so much Ryan, if anyone who is to blame it is the giant quake that caused the dam to be damaged, it would have eventually collapsed and you only hastened the process nothing more so there is no need to worry."

Ryan would not say out loud, but those words had managed to lower the burden on his shoulder considerably.

Michalina simply sent a smile towards Ryan while Jessica began to speak, "I agree with Major, and Ryan your life is more important than some stupid dam, even if you had escaped from there did you forget in what condition you were in, you were half dead, that shows how dangerous the place must have been."

Ryan gave her a small smile before his face gained a serious look as he spoke, "After that, I met Ylerias for the first time and through her I learned I was an apostle, and it was further confirmed when I finally met with my patron God."

"How does he look like?"

Ryan looked towards Zhan as he answered with a shrug, "Apparently I am too weak to see his true face as such all I see is a small flickering flame nothing more, and I also learned why this happened, why the apocalypse took place."

His words caused a bit of commotion which immediately subsided as Ciara cleared her throat out loud, Ryan sent her a small nod of appreciation before he continued, "There is a very large and dangerous hidden enemy which is lurking in the shadows, an enemy that would have eventually wiped out both the worlds as such in order to save them we were merged together."

Ciara frowned and as Donna spoke with a frown of her own, "Ryan what about Gods and Goddess of our world surely they do exist?"

Ryan sighed as he ran his hand through his hair as he spoke, "From what I have learned from Him, the Gods and Goddess of our world are unavailable, he did not tell me much stating that I am not that strong enough to make a difference but from what I know that even Gods and Goddess are not safe from the hidden enemy, I do not know what has happened but from what he hinted because of the enemy the Gods and Goddess of our world are unavailable."

As Ciara massaged the bridge of her nose Zhan spoke with a sigh, "Have you fought against the enemy."

Ryan nodded as he began to remove his shirt while he spoke, "Yes, I fought against it, the enemy which I faced was actually the lowest of low, a simple scout with no combat abilities, a scout that can only gather intelligence and are a dime a dozen according to my patron God, yet it is strong enough to take more than a dozen armed people to deal with it, a scout that according to my patron God was weak as hell with no combat abilities, yet it tore through my vehicle like a hot knife through butter, an enemy that did this to me."

By the time he had finished with his speech, Ryan had removed his clothing revealing his torso for the world to see, multiple gasps were heard as they saw the wound marks on his body.

Ciara's eyes widen as she was immediately by his side checking him over and her fear and concern increased as she saw similar wound marks on his back in the exact same location as he had on his front.

"You, you were stabbed by it."

Ryan nodded as he spoke with a sigh, "Yes mom, the creature's fingers were like a short sword and it stabbed me through it, even after my wounds have healed it left a mark on my body, not to mention it was the closest I came to dying, and I would have if it were not for the combined help of the medics."

A few more minutes later and lots of questioning later the group had not only satisfied every query but they had also given out the predetermined edited version of their journey, and as soon as Ciara had made herself scarce along with Zhan the siblings approached her to speak in private.

Ciara narrowed her eyes as she spoke, "So, are you going to tell me what really happened."

Michalina simply smirked at her as she spoke, "What makes you think we gave out an edited version."

Ciara simply deadpanned at her as she spoke, "I am your mother dear, I raised you two so now tell about the part you left out."

Ryan leaned on the nearest wall as he spoke with a sigh, "Being an Apostle may sound all good to many but there are severe downsides to it, firstly in comparison to others, in eyes of those who love to eat our flesh I am like a prime cut of Grade A1 Wagyu beef, whereas you all are normal as such in case of attack they would come after me more often."

"The second downside is the one which I hate the most, it is the ability I have dubbed it as the 'Death Feedback'."

With a frown forming on her face Zhan could not help but ask out loud, "Ryan why have you named something so ominous?"

"I named it as such because it is exactly what it does, whenever an Apostle passes away we get to relive his last moments, by reliving I mean I will feel everything he feels until the very last moment, I", as he was once again reminded of his experience he let out shudder while Michalina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

An action that Ryan was grateful for as he took a deep breath before he spoke, "One of my fellow Apostles had died recently, he and his group all died while facing a horde of dangerous beasts, I saw they getting torn apart, I felt his heartache as one by one they all died, and I then felt him, I felt him getting torn apart, the pain everything I felt as if I was the one who was dying it was horrible, I do not like it."

As he spoke Ryan closed his eyes trying to suppress those memories as much as he could, the feeling of dying in such a violent way was traumatic.

Hearing his words both Zhan and Ciara's jaw hardened, during their long service have felt various situations from losing their close friends to nearly dying, they knew that even after so much training, even the most well trained battle-hardened veterans suffer from them, often resulting in PTSD, as such Ciara made the mental note to have Ryan receive some psychological help as soon as possible.

Zhan frowned as she spoke, "Ryan, this apostle thing can you resign."

Ryan shook his head as he spoke with another sigh, "No auntie, I will be an apostle until the day I die."

Zhan's eyes narrowed at that but she did not say anything, while Ciara spoke with a frown on her face, "Ryan from tomorrow morning I am going to start your training, from combat styles to strategy, get ready because I will not coddle you as your mother but as a military instructor, I will push you to your absolute limit and I won't stop no matter how much you plead and beg."

As Ryan beamed at her Zhan spoke with a stern look on her face, "If possible I will also look after your training from time to time, I do not like what I am hearing so far, even after getting so much help the tradeoff for your power I do not like it."

Ryan looked down towards the floor as he spoke, "Every power comes with a price and in my case, I am the price."

Ciara grabbed him by his shoulder as she spoke with a smile, "Ryan, do not worry, I am with you, we all are with you, no matter what we will make sure you are not harmed."

Ryan sent her a small smile as Ciara continued to speak, "Now I believe it is getting late so why don't you go and take some rest we have a long day ahead with your training and building."

Ryan simply gave a nod as he spoke, "Then I will go and occupy some of the newly created floors and take some much-needed rest."

"And I will accompany you."

With that, the siblings left, while both Ciara and Zhan frowned hard as Zhan spoke with a snarl, "I do not like this."

"Me neither sister, I have so many questions that I need to ask but for now I will give him some breathing space, I still believe that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg not to mention the way he said he is the price has me concerned greatly, there are so many things to know about being an Apostle maybe I should consult Lierin a bit more."

Zhan gave a nod of agreement as she spoke with a sigh, "I also think there are many things for us to learn, especially seeing the way Ryan spoke it got me concern, every God we have heard about are beings of massive power and he is the progenitor of their pantheon and the way he spoke about the price I believe something bad is going on."

"You are right sister, maybe it is time we have a heart to heart chat with Jessica and others."

Meanwhile, a certain apostle who had recently fallen asleep found himself once again standing in a familiar place, the soft crackle of the bonfire when a rather familiar voice came to his ears.

"Welcome, Ryan I have a task for you."

Unknown to Ryan another Apostle was having a similar talk with her patron God, a new task for them to fulfil.